Hidden Insights in Job Postings

Interviewing—whether you’re hiring or being hired—can feel like a total gamble. A few conversations (if you get that far) rarely leads to a conclusive fit test. Great interviews sometimes lead to disappointing hires and disappointing jobs. 

Here’s the thing to remember: both sides are under pressure. Which is why it’s worth cutting through the surface-level chatter and getting to the heart of what matters. One underused tool? The job posting itself.

What Job Postings Really Reveal

Job openings are strategy in disguise. They reflect what leadership thinks the organization needs to grow, fix, or transform. Every hire is an investment—and smart candidates (and hiring managers) can treat job descriptions as a window into company priorities.

Too often, interviews stall out at generic questions. “What’s the culture like?” is fine, but vague. To get a more complete picture, especially of how a role fits into the bigger picture, try questions like:

• Why this role now?
  

• How does it support your larger strategy?
  

• Are there related openings in other departments?
  

• If so, how do you expect them to collaborate?
  

• Is this a new position or a backfill?
  

• If new, why now? What’s changed to create the need?
  

• What impact do you hope this person will have—on the team, on key goals, on the company overall?
  

These questions move the conversation beyond the script and into the company’s real needs—and how you might meet them.

The Bigger Picture

For small and mid-sized companies (or departments within larger orgs), the roles they prioritize for hiring are like a flashlight: they illuminate priorities, pressure points, and even internal blind spots.

Whether you’re the one applying or the one hiring, pay close attention. Job postings and hiring decisions don’t just tell you who a company wants—they show you where they’re trying to go.